ADVANCED
PORTFOLIO
RESEARCH
What is a Digipak? - (27/9/15)
Digipak's are commonly used for CD singles, DVDs or special edition of CD albums, which come in gatefold (book-style) form and the outer binding's are usually made from either paperboard or card stock. This also includes one or more plastic trays, enabling the CD or DVD to be securely held in place. Similar to a normal CD or DVD case the front of the digipak includes a design that represents the theme of the CD or DVD, as well as a picture of the band, artist or characters. This theme is carried throughout the rest of the sections of the digipak in order to give a sense of continuity throughout the digipak and allow us to understand the identity of the band, artist or characters.
Justin Bieber - (28/9/15)
Digipak's Analysis
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Ed Sheeran - (29/9/15)
Below is my analysis of Ed Sheeran’s digipak for his debut studio album “plus”:
Camerawork
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Close-up = focus on Ed as its his debut album meaning he’s relatively unfamiliar + Dyer’s ‘extraordinary’ paradox
Mise en scene
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Colour = orange = connotes comfort and relaxing =suggest his music and soft tone will have a similar affect = appealing to audience + black = CD = simplicity = suggests he doesn’t see himself as an extravagant artist = humbling = Dyer’s ‘ordinary’ paradox
Typography & Language
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Serif + white = seriousness + peaceful = suggests artist lyrics are meaningful and heartfelt however non-confrontational = appeals to audience who has creativity as a specific value = Dyer’s ‘stars are constructed to appeal to a specific audience’ theory
Layout
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Image on front + track list on back + limited info (barcode bottom right) = simplicity = appeals to mass audience rather than niche one + suggests laid back personality = implies acoustic nature to his music = raw talent
Bruno Mars & Jason Derulo Comparison - (1/10/15)
The colour in both of the digipak’s is a yellowy orange, similar to that seen in the last two digipak’s I have analysed, suggesting this could be a convention. The reason it is used is because it has autumn connotations which are comforting for the audience, making the digipak aesthetically pleasing. Yellow is also non-gender specific meaning that it will appeal to both males and females, subsequently attracting a greater audience by ensuring both demographics are satisfied. Furthermore the type of yellow used on each digipak is different from one another. On Jason’s digipak, the yellow is much more vibrant and colourful, matching the connotations of the pop genre. It also links in with the colours of the tattoos on his neck and the design on the CD, portraying him as being creative (Dyer’s ‘common values’ theory). Comparatively on Bruno Mars’ digipak a more faded yellow is used with a more retro feel to it. The tone of yellow is reminiscent of the 60’s/ 70’s which is where his inspiration for his music comes from. This particular shade of yellow was very fashionable and popular at the time, featuring in clothing, furniture etc. In terms of camerawork, there is great contrast between the two. Jason’s features a close-up of himself (Dyer’s ‘extraordinary’ paradox) which is more conventional of a digipak for a male pop artists, as the audience associates the album with their image. However Bruno’s digipak features no camerawork, instead replacing it with the album logo/artwork. The inference of this is that Bruno is a lot more reserved, not so outgoing, suggesting that he doesn’t just want his image to be a ‘promotion commodity’ (Dyer) and wants the audience to appreciate his music, making him seem more talented. The tattoos pictured on Jason’s neck have a slight illustrative meaning (Andrew Goodwin) as the album title is also called “Tattoos”, broadening the audiences understanding of the name. On both digipak’s an uppercase san serif font is used, however with differences in the font style. Bruno uses a more hand drawn effect, creating a sense of originality, once again portraying him as being creative. Comparatively Jason uses a more bold, typed font which implies he is more serious, however this suggestion is somewhat invalid when you analyse his video’s as he’s always got positive non-verbal communication. This suggests that this image is more constructed then his perceived genuine personality. The layout for Bruno’s digipak is very simplistic just like Ed Sheeran’s, meaning that it will appeal to a much wider audience as it’s not conflicting, whereas Jason’s features more detail which implies that he is very extravagant and therefore wants his digipak to reflect this.
Chris Brown & Sam Smith Comparison - (3/10/15)
Nick Jonas & Pharrell Williams Comparison - (4/10/15)
Below is my analysis of both digipak’s in bullet point form:
Camerawork
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Close-up of Nick Jonas = emphasis on him as the artist Dyer’s ‘extraordinary’ paradox = convention = similar to Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran
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Mid-shot of Pharrell and three females = attention drawn to all four people not just him = manipulation of Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ theory to obtain greater audience + album title is “GIRL” = pictured with three females = illustrative (Andrew Goodwin)
Mise en scene
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Setting = plain/blank + simplistic = no attention is lost from the artist = convention as majority feature single coloured backgrounds = also features in male pop music videos = Barthes ‘intertextuality’ theory
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Pharrells features props = sunglasses = laid-back connotations = suggests he has a lethargic personality = implies his music has the same relaxed feel to it + sunglasses = stereotypically seen as being an accessory worn by pop ‘stars’ = connotes stardom = Dyer’s ‘star’ theory
Typography & Language
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Both use uppercase + san serif = convention = bold + distinct lettering = captures audiences attention + straight, clean finish to the lettering is aesthetically pleasing = however doesn’t suggest much creativity = typography almost to perfect + manufactured
Layout
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Track list for Nick Jonas = central on the back = convention as seen in four other music videos I have analysed + simplistic background = easy to read = audience focused on the song titles = recognise popular singles = increases the likelihood of them purchasing the album
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Pharrell’s track list = unconventional = central, however very thinly across the top of the back cover = visually difficult = but draws attention to rest of the imagery = still frustrating for audience = unlikely to use this layout for our own digipak as its not practical
Michael Buble & Usher Comparison - (6/10/15)
A close-up is used for Usher’s digipak (Dyer’s ‘extraordinary’ paradox) which is very similar to Jason Derulo’s (even the inclusion of the tattoos) as they are both staring in one direction. This suggests that close-ups are a convention which is confirmed by the fact that they have featured in the majority of the digipak’s I have analysed previously. However for Michael Buble’s digipak a mid-shot is used. This is also a popular camera shot in digipaks as they allow the audience to see more of the artist, meaning they can connect with them (uses & gratifications theory: personal identity) as they begin to deconstruct their personality. Buble is wearing a suit in his digipak which has smart, sophisticated connotations, suggesting that he is a true gentleman and implying that his music has the same class about it. However as part of his attire, his tie is slightly undone and his hands are in his pockets. This portrays him as being more casual, suggesting that he doesn’t take himself to seriously. Usher’s non-verbal communication is very serious on the other hand which seems to be quite conventional within digipaks of the pop genre, for example like on Ed Sheeran’s digipak which includes a soulless glare. Considering the pop genre is meant to be fun, light-hearted and enjoyable, the lack of positive facial expressions and body language is quite peculiar, which can only be because the artists music is very important to them. Both digipaks feature san serif font however Usher’s uses solely uppercase lettering whereas Buble only uses lowercase. Usher’s typography is more conventional and the inclusion of his signature not only suggests creativity, but also adds authenticity. Whereas Buble’s use of lowercase letters is unconventional as it is quite informal, which conflicts his appearance. This creates confusion amongst the audience making it less appealing because his image seems more ‘constructed’ and fake (Dyer’s ‘star’ theory), however the childlike nature of it does portray him as being fun and entertaining. The layout for Usher’s digipak is a lot more conventional. The image is large and central along with the track list and the CD has been left relatively plan, besides from a faint wave pattern. Comparatively Buble’s digipak therefore is perceived as being unconventional, because although his album cover is nothing unusual, the placement of the track names in the top right corner of the back and the inclusion of them also on the CD is so. However although this may seem foolish to change successful conventions, it shows originality and makes his digipak more unique (“difference is absolutely essential to the economy of a genre” - Steve Neale).
Conclusion - (7/10/15)
Throughout my analysis of digipak’s I have discovered the following conventions:
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The camerawork used is mostly mid-shots or close-ups of the artist (Dyer’s ‘extraordinary’ paradox).
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In terms of mine-en-scene, the costumes worn in the digipaks are very casual, with little very little colour. This is slightly contradictory as the pop genre is usually associated with fun and vibrance, however this isn’t the case with the dull colour. The lack of colour incorporated into the clothing has a similar effect to the very negative and serious non-verbal communication I have also recognised as a convention. None of the digipaks I have analysed features any of the artists smiling or looking happy and instead depicted with an emotionless glare on their face. However vibrant colours are mostly used for the background on digipaks which slightly compensate for the lack of it anywhere else.
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On the majority of digipak’s I have analysed, uppercase san serif lettering has been used for both the font style. This creates a very bold and distinct typography which captures the audiences attention and the straight, clean finish to the lettering is aesthetically pleasing.
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Finally the layout of the digipaks as seen in most of the ones I have analysed starts of with a close-up/ mid-shot of the artist which takes up the majority of the front cover. The back then features a centred list of tracks included in uppercase lettering. The CD usually has a more simplistic design with very little detail included, with black seemingly a popular colour for the background.
When it comes to creating our own digipak when need to conform and challenge a selection of these conventions to make the best final product for our artist (Neale’s ‘repetition & difference’ theory). A convention I think we need to follow is the inclusion of mid to close-up camerawork as it is effective in highlighting who is the star (Dyer’s ‘extraordinary’ paradox) as well as emphasising themselves as a brand, marketing there image as promotional commodity to generate a mass audience. I also think that we should include the use of a similar layout and typography as it is obviously popular amongst the pop genre’s audience because otherwise it wouldn’t feature on so many of the digipak’s I have analysed due to it being aesthetically pleasing. The final convention I believe we should conform to is the use of a vibrant colour as the background for our digipak as it will make it very striking and will generate the same connotations as the genre itself, upbeat and fun. This leads me on to what conventions I think as a group we should challenge as “difference is absolutely essential to the economy of a genre” - Neale. These conventions lie within the technical element of mine-en-scene and are the costume colour along with the non-verbal communication. In the digipaks I have analysed neither of these match the ‘family resemblances’ (Swales) the pop genre is usually associated, which is very peculiar and confusing for the audience. Therefore I believe we are better experimenting with a variety of exotic colours, along with the non-verbal communication of the artist in order to match the connotations of the genre. This therefore makes our digipak more associative with it which the audience will recognise, creating a more appealing final product.